Month: July 2022

Family Recipe: $100 Brownies

Abby H.

This is an easy, decadent recipe that impresses guests.

Inspired by a friend’s brownie recipe that once fetched $100 at an auction, this dessert will disappear before your eyes. These brownies are so rich, so don’t forget the milk or cuppa Joe.

 

$100 Brownies

Ingredients 

  • 1 brownie mix 
  • Milk
  • Eggs
  • Melted butter
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter (your favorite variety)
  • 1/2 bag (about 6 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips 

Directions:

  1. Mix up the brownie recipe per directions in the box. Substitute milk for water, and melted butter for oil in the directions. Use eggs as directed on the box.
  2. Bake brownies as directed.
  3. As soon as they are down, remove them from the oven and immediately top with peanut butter and chocolate chips.
  4. Allow PB and chips to melt atop the hot brownies, about 5-10 minutes.
  5. Using a silicone spatula, carefully mix and spread PB and melted chips to form and even layer a top the brownies.
  6. Once brownies have cooled to room temp, store them in the fridge for at least 1 hour prior to serving.

Makes 18 small brownies- these are very rich, and a little goes a long way.

Substitutions:

  • If you are Gluten Free, substitute your favorite GF brownie mix.

7/22/2022 Friday Freebies and Deals

Abby H.

Today was my last day of work at school for a month. So there should be an uptick in blog posts and social media stuff.

The big kid was sick earlier this week with an ear infection. He’s starting to heal, but it’s slow going.

If you are looking for some frugal adventures for this summer, check out this post.

Mask Mandates are changing constantly in California and can vary by city and county, so please do your part if you are going to any in-person freebies.

2022 Birthday Freebies are here!

Freebies

Free Sample of Gerber Soothe n Chew Teething Sticks
Free Starbucks Drink or Treat for Select Spotify Accounts
Possible Free $150 Candy Research Study
Free Kids Book Every Month
Free Niacinamide Face Serum
Free Combo Meal at White Castle
Free Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil Sample
Free Hot Dog at The Original Hot Dog Factory
Free Donut Wednesdays at Dunkin
Free Glycolic Overnight Peel Treatment
Free Montchevre Goat Cheese After Rebate
Free Pretzel at Auntie Anne’s – Every Wednesday in July & Aug
Free Garden of Flavor Cold-Pressed Energy Elixir
Free Book with Barnes & Noble Summer Reading Program
Free Sample of Saturix Clean Room Wipes
Free Duracell Batteries at Office Depot & Office Max
Free Skincare Bath & Body Bundle
Free Sample of Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Gel Cream
Free Bath & Body Gift Sets
Free NeilMed Sinus Rinse Kit
Banfield Pet Hospital – Free Office Visit & Consultation
Free Original Chick Meal at Chicken Salad Chick
Free Shoes from Dream Pair Shoes
Free $10 ThredUP Credit = Free Womens & Children Items
Free Beyond Meat Teriyaki Jerky at Walmart
Free Goody Bag at buybuy BABY Stores
Free Andalou Naturals Skincare Products
Free 10 oz. Ithaca Hummus After Rebate
Free Love Corn
Free Half Price Books Summer Reading Camp
Free Tannenberg PC Game
Free My Best Friend’s Wedding for Xfinity Rewards Members
2,000 Free AllState Rewards Points
Free Shop Titans PC Game

 

Deals:

Michael Kors Travel Crossbody Bag ONLY $74.25 (Reg $398)
Levi’s Women’s Bermuda Jean Shorts ONLY $24.99 (Reg $50)
Insulated Backpack Cooler ONLY $19.04 (Reg. $39.99)
Flying Saucer Outdoor Swing at Amazon ONLY $29.99 (Reg. $59.99)
Women’s Turtleneck Sweater ONLY $7 (Reg. $28)
Youth Camping Chair ONLY $8.98 (Reg. $17.97)
Silk Queen Size Pillowcases 2-PC ONLY $8.49 (Reg. $16.99)
2022-2023 Planners as low as ONLY $2.99 (Reg. $5.99)
Adidas Adilette Footbed Clogs ONLY $18.54 (Reg $45)
Arctic Air Cooler ONLY $23.99 (Reg $40)
Char-Broil Gas Grill with Side Burner ONLY $132.99 (Reg $230)
Airtight Food Storage Containers 7-pc ONLY $21.99 (Reg. $51.59)
Polarized Sunglasses 3-pack ONLY $7.49 (Reg. $15)

99 Cents Only: Sign up for the NEW 99 App today and get a $5 Reward!

Abby H.

This was in my inbox earlier today, and while I have fallen out of love with 99 Cents Only (which is a huge misnomer these days, the average price of items is $2.99), this is still a pretty good deal:

When you download the app, sign up for an account (or log on if you had the older version of the app already), you’ll get a $5 off your next purchase of $25+ offer.

With inflation and 99 Cents Only’s foray into more expensive merchandise, I have stopped shopping there as much as I used to. They still have decent deals on bagged salads, bread, spices, canned goods, and first aid supplies.

Tryazon: Storypod Make Screen-Free Learning Fun!

Abby H.

We’ve been participating in Tryazon events for three+ years. We’ve gotten to try all sorts of fun toys, games, and food.  You can learn more about Tryazon here.

Fascinate little learners with this Tryazon Featured Party opportunity, from Storypod!
Storypod is a smart, screenless storytelling toy with adorable yarn figurines and read-along audiobooks offering engaging and interactive content while promoting independent learning, decision making, and listening skills. How does it work? Storypod offers a delightful screen-free experience that feels like magic! Just tap any Craftie, Audiobook or Trivia Card on The Storypod to activate its audio. Listen to the immersive audio experiences with screen-free stories, songs and lessons. So fun kids don’t even realize they’re learning!

Tryazon has 50 hosting spots open for this opportunity! Those selected get to receive a Storypod party pack valued at over $240 to share with friends and family! Learn more and apply here.

Dream Dinners: Save Time & Savor Summer with a July Mini Bundle!

Abby H.

It’s that time again! Time for a Dream Dinners Bundle Sale!

Summer is all about making memories, so we’ve put together a bundle of under-30-minute meals to maximize your time in the sun.
Order in the next 72 hours to get eight medium-size meals from our July menu for just $180*. Spend more time by the pool and less time grocery shopping and meal prepping this summer!

The July Mini Bundle includes:

  • Kentucky Pork Chops with Sweet Potato Fries
  • Grilled Chicken Caesar Sandwiches with Onion Rings
  • Coconut Shrimp with Tropical Chili Sauce
  • Orange Asian Chicken with Garden Vegetable Rice
  • Turkey Florentine Burgers
  • Charred Honey Lime Grilled Chicken
  • Backyard BBQ Chicken with Corn Medley
  • Creamy Tortellini with Bacon and Peas

A Medium Meal feeds 2-3 adults (honestly, it’s usually 3+ in our house), so you’ll be getting 16-24 restaurant-quality meals for $180!

This offer is only available for a limited time

Contact your store by Friday, July 22nd at 9am to place your order.

Our local store here in East County is La Mesa, run by Marsi and her friendly staff! Store Email: lamesaca@dreamdinners.com  Store Phone Number: 619-460-6800.

Q-insights Kids Viewing Habits pays $150.00

Abby H.

QI-logoNOslogan.pngQ-insights is another company where I do research groups, focus groups, and online surveys to earn extra money.

They have a lot of stuff in South Orange County, and less often San Diego County. This upcoming survey takes place virtually!

Q-Insights is currently recruiting for a 90 min. online community study. They are specifically looking for parents of 4-6 year old girls.

The study will run from 8/1- 8/7  and you will be compensated $150.00 as a thank you for your time.

If you are interested in participating please fill out the survey here. If you pre-qualify someone from Q-Insights will call you to ask some additional qualifying questions.

7/19/2022 Meal Plan

Abby H.

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgSummer break is here! We’ve got all sorts of adventures planned, you can check out some of our adventures here.

This week’s post is a little different. In addition to the usual info and links, I wanted to address something that’s been very in our faces a lot lately: inflation and the struggle to purchase enough groceries on a budget.  In the city I live in there are two large major chain grocery stores: Vons, and Food 4 Less. There’s also a Grocery Outlet, Sprouts, and a target which has some food but honestly, I probably couldn’t shop there for everything (their produce selection leaves a lot to be desired),

Because of this, I have to shop at more than one store to get everything on our list and stay within our budget.

Saturday I went to Vons, because I had a $10/$10 coupon that was expiring soon. And I will always take $10 in free groceries. I decided to spend it on produce because we’re not getting our CSA box right now. I figured $10 probably wouldn’t go too far, so I checked all of my apps to see if there were any deals or sales or cashback on products. There were a couple deals within the Vons App (free bell pepper, salad kit personalized price) that I took advantage of. 

So here is what I got: 

  • 2 lb box of Strawberries 
  • 4 Bananas 
  • 1 lemon
  • 1 large bag Kale Salad 
  • Eclipse Dairy Free dessert

I had a coupon from social nature for Eclipse dairy-free dessert, and there was an Ibotta offer as well. So, not only was it free, but I got $3.50 back

Overall, this trip to the grocery store cost me $.89 after the Ibotta rebate, $10/$10 coupon, and coupons/deals in the app. 

I am trying to be more cost-conscious when it comes to going to the grocery store. And if you know me in real life or follow me for any amount of time you know that I’m already pretty frugal. We will be primarily eating out of the pantry/freezer this week, I have a few dream dinners left that we will be making for this week, and I will also be taking advantage of the few cupboard meals that we keep on hand. I made chicken soup in the crockpot over the weekend, and that will be good for at least two or three meals for the whole family- probably lunches.

No CSA boxes until the weather cools down and I can be home when the boxes are delivered. With the heat and the lack of shade on my patio, if we aren’t home when it’s delivered, some of the more delicate foods can spoil.

We’ve been trying a lot of new foods lately, thanks to the really great freebies from Social Nature lately too. It’s fun to try new foods.

For those of you that are new to meal planning, I’ve got an easy 101 style post here with super easy tips and steps. After you get that down, here is info about batch or freezer cooking.

I’ve gotten a pretty good inventory of the pantry, freezer, and fridge done (I try to update it after every shopping trip), so I’m able to plan meals and use up what we’ve got with little waste.

I only post our dinner plans for the week, because our other meals are usually the same each day.

Breakfast: Coffee with 1/2 and 1/2  for me, and pancakes or something along those lines for the kids. They are also into fruit and bagels for breakfast. Lately, the big kid has been digging protein shakes in the morning. This is his favorite kind. 

Lunch: I have a plastic tote in the cupboard full of self-serve snacks. I buy treats and snacks in bulk and fill up snack-sized zip-top bags. This is really helpful for the summer when for some reason, kids are starving all the time. The kids get free lunch at summer school too!

Dinner: We finished our last Dream Dinner last week! I’ll be ordering more next month once the new menu comes out. I’m trying to get us to eat together as a family more often and get the kids into eating more fruits and veg, so you’ll notice that our meals are pretty simple this week.

  • Monday: Nuggets, fruit, cheese & crackers

  • Tuesday: Buffalo Chicken quesadillas, veggies, fruit, chips

  • Wednesday: Chicken Corn Chowder, Sourdough bread and butter

  • Thursday: Peach Bourbon Chicken, Green Beans, Noodles or Rice

  • Friday: Takeout night!
  • Saturday:  Leftovers
  • Sunday:   Salsa Chicken, Rice, Beans, Salad

Recipe: Chicken Corn Chowder

Abby H.

This is a super easy recipe! I made this on Saturday night to be served this week (and some went into the freezer for future meals).

We had a rotisserie chicken, so I made the stock from scratch and used some of the rotisserie chicken meat, but that’s optional. You could use canned broth/stock and canned chicken if you wanted.

You may have most of these ingredients on hand!

Chicken Corn Chowder

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

  • 2 T. butter
  • 1/2 white onion, diced
  • 2 cups corn (I used corn from a past CSA box that I had roasted, removed from the cob, and froze for later use), canned or frozen corn is great. If using canned, rinse the corn before using
  • 1.5 cups chicken, cooked and chopped into bite-size pieces (You can use canned chicken, drained and rinsed, or rotisserie chicken)
  • 1 cup whole milk (or 1 can evaporated milk)
  • 4 cups chicken broth/stock
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3/4 cup mashed potato flakes
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1t. Poultry seasoning

Directions:

  1. In a large stock pot, melt butter and saute onions until translucent, about 5 minutes.
  2. Add corn to the pot, stir and cook for about 5 minutes.
  3. Add remaining ingredients and cook over low for 10-15 minutes, allowing the soup to thicken and heat throughout.
  4. Remove the bay leaf prior to serving.

Serve with green salad and popovers.

Dietary options:

  • For dairy free, use your favorite cooking oil/spread and non-dairy milk.
  • For vegetarian options, omit chicken (or use your favorite meat-free chick’n alternative), and use veggie broth in place of chicken broth.
  • This recipe is naturally gluten-free.

 

Fetch Rewards: Earn More Points with Good Rewards

Abby H.

Ok, so as most of you know, Fetch Rewards is my favorite cashback app. They have a new club within the app: Good Rewards! It’s a way to earn extra points when you purchase General Mills products.

All you have to do is open the Fetch Rewards app on your phone, click on the Good Rewards link in the app, join, and you’ll be earning extra points in no time. General Mills owns a lot of brands you probably buy weekly.

If you aren’t already using Fetch Rewards, signing up is quick and easy! You learn more when you check out my post here. Find the Fetch Rewards app in your app store, and when you download it and scan any receipt, use my code ND2TB when you sign up and you’ll score 2,000 bonus points. I’ve earned $145 so far in 2022 just by purchasing my regular groceries and scanning all of my receipts (grocery, mass merchandiser, gas receipts, restaurants, you name it).

Sea World-Free Tickets for U.S. Veterans!

Abby H.

Did you know that veterans can receive up to four free passes to Sea World? It’s true!

Screen Shot 2017-07-06 at 7.19.30 PM.pngThe response to this opportunity earlier this year was so overwhelming that Sea World decided to offer it to you again! To show their appreciation for those who have served our country, they are offering U.S. military veterans FREE SeaWorld San Diego tickets for themselves and up to three friends or family members.

This limited-time offer is only available online through July 31. Get your tickets by verifying your military status through ID.me at the link below and use them by July 31!

This isn’t available at the park, so you’ll have to sign up here and fill out all the forms before you go.

Parking isn’t included in this offer and starts at $17, depending on which level of parking you select.